Electric switch



sept 29,4925. I ,sssfooe W. J. GIBBoNs ELECTRIC swITcn Filed March l0, 1924 flTraH/VEY Patented Sept. 29, 19.25.

O uNrrEDoisqTArEs PATENrOor-nca site ends of the said couple of substantie. ly straight plates arof the switch, each of wlnc ual relation with respect to each other.

Y WILLIAI J. GIBIBONS, OFPHIVLADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

mncrnrc swrrcn. g y L vApplication illed Hatch 10, 1924. Serial No. 697,987. l

To all whomz't may concern.' y

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. GIBBoNs, side of the rear. Plate of the switch; a citizen of the United States, Aanda resident Fig. 5 is-a'view in elevation of the front of Philadelphia, in the county ofwflhiladel or outer side of the front plate of the switch; phia and State of Pennsylvania, have in- Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken vented an Improvement in Electric Switches, on the line 6-6, Fig. 3 and v of which the following is a specification. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view M invention relates to .electric switches taken o-n the line 7-7 Fig. 1. and 1t has for its general object to provide a `Referring tothe drawing: 1 and 2 designovel construction switch -comprising a g nate, respectively, the springlate member is` rovide ranged and secured in parallel and c0ntact with central project-ions as indicated at 3 to provide suicient room for rivets 4 employed Itis also an object of the invention to profor securing the said plates together. vide a switch of the character indicated in A relatively narrow transversely extendwhich'the inner edge ortions f the oppoing strip 5 is secured by the said rivets upon pilates are normall in the rear side of the switch consisting of the contact with each other while the portions plates 1 and 2. A fulcrum member partially thereof intermediate said ends and the. ce'nindicated at 6 is secured by soldering or tral portion of the said plates are separatedl otherwise to the strip 5 .intermediate the from"'each other. rlvets 4. By

provideia switch comprisin two lates of plates 1 and 2 are oscllatably vsupported in the character indicated, w ich p atesare the switch structure. Such switch structure provided with means near their opposite is not shown, however, because it forms no ends for yieldingly resisting the separation part-of my present invention. of the end portions of the said plates, and,y It will e-observed that the central porthe resistance of which increases as they are tions of the plates 1 and 2 are held in close separated by the entrance ofthe stationary contact with each other, and that the porcontacts between same which co-operate with tions of the plates intermediate the rivets 4 the said switch.` and the outer ends thereof are sli htly bowed To these and other ends the invention outwardly as indicated at 10 in ig. 3, and comprehends the construction as hereinafter. that the outer ends of the said plates are in fully described in .the detailed description, contact. as PaTt1Cu1aI'1y- P0111ted Oui'g m the Claims, The plates l1 and' 2 are of spring metal and S'ShQWn 1n the dravmg 1n Whlch I and the resiliency thereof, in the construchave illustrated one convenient form of emtion Shown, is Sucient to hold the Outer bodiment of the same. However it is to be ends in Contact, as shown ab 11 in Fig, 3 understood that the invention is susceptible It is desirable, however, that additional of mechanical embodiment in other forms-of means' be Provided for more firmly holding .Construction -than that Shown' and that the ends in contact and for oering greater Changesnh? details 0f COHSI'UQOII H lay be resistance to the separation thereof upon mad@ Wlthm the SCPP? 0f the Clalms W'llJhOllt the entry of the stationary contacts 12 bedpalftlllg from Sald HIVGDIODV- tween the same than would be the case with- In the drawing: I out such additional means. In the con- Fi 1 is a view in side elevation of a struction, as shown, said additional means switc constructed in accordance with my incomprises spring-hook members 15 and 16 vention and inwhich the opposite ends thereconnected with the front and reai1 plates, of are shown in engagement with the starespectively, adjacent their opposite ends, tionary contacts of a switch structure; 'which hooks extend inwardly. Each of Fig. 2 is a top plan view of they switch these hooks consists of integral relatively and the stationary contacts shown in Fig. 1, narrow strips formed by cutting away porthe' latterbeing in engagement with the options of the metal of said plates at the posite ends'of the said switch; edges upon opposite sides of thecentral Fig. 3 is a similar view, the stationary portion thereof. In the construction, as contacts being omitted;

4 is a iew in elevation of the front l means of the said fulcrum l "A still further object of the invention is to member the switch blades comprising the shown, the hooks 15 upon the front plate 1 are connected with the lower edge thereof while the hooks 16 upon the rear plate are connected with the upper edge thereof. The hooks 15 upon the front plate are formed by bending the relatively narrow strips, previously referred to, transversely of the plates and extending the same through notches 18 in the lower edge of the plate 2 adjacent the opposite ends thereof a distance beyond the rear outer side of the said plate and then inwardly toward the middle of the said plates, and then in reverse directions transversely of the said plates as indicated at 19. The inner free ends of the hooks 15 engage in squareshouldered or rectangular-shaped notches 20 formed in elevated or rearwardly projected portions 21 upon the rear side of the rear plate 2.

The hooks 16 upon the rear plate 2 are formed by extending the strips thereon, previously Vreferred to, transversely of the plates 1 and 2 through slots 22 upon the upper edge of the front plate 1 adjacent the opposite ends thereof. The said strips are extended forwardly and then inwardly toward the middle of the said plates and then in a reverse direction transversely of the said plates, the inner free ends thereof being in engagement with the square or rectangular-shaped notches 23 formed in elevations or projections upon the front side of the said front plate 1. It will be seen that as the outer end portions of the plates 1 and 2 are separated by the entry betweenv the same of the stationary contacts 7 the springs 15 and 16 are placed under tension, and that by reason of the square or rectangular-shape of the notches 20 and 23 the ends of the said hooks are retained therein. Such retention of the ends of the hooks within the said notches as the ends of the plates are separated tends to increase the tension imposed upon the hooks 15 and 16 and the resistance offered thereby against such separation.

In order to facilitate the placing of the hooks 15 and 16 within the notches 2() and 23, respectively, when said plates are assembled, I have provided projections 25 which extend outwardly from the said plates in general alinement with the notches. The outer ends of the said projections terminate in flat ledge-like portions l26 upon which the ends of the said hooks 15 and 16 rest in the initial step of assembling the said plates. The said plates having been placed in such relation to each other that the ends of the hooks rest upon the said ledge-like portions, they are then slid over each other into final position. During such movement the hooks are guided up the inclines at 27 between eonver 'ng sides 28 upon opposite sides of the sai inclined surfaces 27 and during such movement are placed under tension. It will be seen, therefore, that means are provided whereby the assembling of the plates with the hooks 15 and 16 in position withinD the notches 2O and 23 is greatly facilitated.

It will be seen that by my invention an oscillatable electric switch which is adapted for use in the various types of switch structures in which the movable element of the switch is adapted to be snapped or quickly moved from one position to another, either into or out of contact with stationary contact members, is provided.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

1. An oscillatable electric switch comprising platessecured together in substantially parallel relation with respect to each other the outer ends thereof being separable, and

yielding resilient means carried by each of said plates adjacent its opposite ends and engaging the outer side of the other plate.

2. An electric switch comprising spring platessecui'ed together at their middle portions and arranged in substantially parallel relation with respect to each other and each of the said plates being provided with notches upon its outer side a distance from its opposite ends and also with resilient hooks which hooks extend inwardly from points adjacent the said opposite ends and the inner free ends of the hooks of one plate engaging the notches of the other plate.

3. An electric switch comprising plates of spring-metal secured together at their middle portions and arranged in face to face relation with respect to each other, the portions of said plates intermediate their point of connection and ltheir outer ends being bowed outwardly and each of the said plates being provided with Aoutwardly extending elevations at points a distance from its opposite ends and inwardly extending notches in the said projections and each of the said plates being also provided with hooks which extend inwardly from points adjacent their opposite ends, the inner free ends of the hooks of one plate being in engagement with the notches in the other plate.

4. An electric switch comprising plates secured together at their middle portions and arranged in face tov face relation with respect to each other, the outer ends of which are normally in contact with each other, and each of the said plates being provided with notches upon their outer sides located a distance from the opposite ends thereof, one end of each of which notches is open, inclined portions leading from points adjacent the edge of each of said plates into the said open ends and ledges beyond the wardly from points adjacent the opposite ends of the said plate and the hooks of each plate extending transversely of the said plates across the other late and then i11- -wardly and in reverse irection, the inner freerends thereof being in engagement with the said notches.

5. An electric switch, the portions thereof intermediate their middle portions and their ends being bowed outwardly, the outer ends of the said plates being normally in contact with each other and each of said plates be.

ing provided with elevations a distance from their opposite ends which elevations extend outwardly and each of 4which is provided with a rectangular-shaped notch the outer end of which is open, and tapered grooves leading to the open ends of said notches and each of said plates being provided with resilient spring hooks connected thereto at points adjacent its outer ends, the hooks of each plate extending transversely of said plates and across the same, then inwardly and in reverse direction, the inner-free ends of the hooks upon one plate engaging the notches of the other plate.

6. An electric switch comprising plates secured together at their middle portions and arranged in face to face relation with respect lto each other, the louter ends o which are normally in contact with -each other,and each of the said plates being provided with notches, upon their outer sides located a distance from the opposite ends thereof,.one end of each notch facing toward an adjacent edge of its plate and being open and the said plate being provided with inclined portions leading frompoints adjacent the edge of the said plates into the open ends of the said'notches, and each of said plates being also providedwith ledges beyond the outer ends of said inclined por-.-

tions and each of said plates being provided with hooks adjacent its opposite ends which hooks extend inwardly of the said plates and the hooks of one plate extending transversely across the other plate and then inshort distances from its opposite ends, eachV rovided with a of which projections is notch the outer vend of w ich is open and the said plates each being provided withv tapered grooves leadin to the open ends of said notches and also gbeing provided with resilient spring hooks connected thereto at points adjacent its opposite ends, the hooks Vof one plate extending transversely across the other plate then inwardly and in reverse direction, the inner free ends of the hooks of one plate engaging the notches of the other plate, the 'said free ends being guided and directed into said notches by the saidv grooves, substantially as described.

8. An electric switch comprising plates arranged and secured together in face to face relation to each other, each of which plates is provided with notches in one edge,

one of which is adjacent one end and the.

other of which is adj acentthe opposite end, and each of which is'provided with sprlng rhooks at its opposite edge, one of which hooks is adjacent one end and the other one of which is adjacent the opposite end, the hook-of one plate extending through the notches in the adjacent opposlng edgeof the other plate. and then inwardly and trans# 'verselyv/of the planes of said plates to contact with the outer side of said other plate.

4v.In testimony that I claimthe foregoing as my invention I have hereunto signedmy name this 6th day of March, A. l). 1924.

WILLIAM J. menons. 

